Quality control of capsule bodies and caps is an extremely important matter. Should capsule shells be too brittle they are liable to develop cracks even when subjected to normal wear and tear. The presence of cracks or holes in capsule shells could easily result in leakage and/or spoilage of medication contained in the capsule.
Various quality control tests have been developed by pharmaceutical companies and other manufacturers and vendors of capsule shells for testing for brittleness in empty capsule shells. However, these tests do little for determining if a capsule shell has pin holes or has weakened walls due to uneven gelatin distribution.